Tag: author

I noticed on your website that you’ve written children’s books previously, but JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS is your MG debut. Why did you decide to write a MG book?

Cora, the main character of JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS, really dictated my ‘switch’ to middle grade. Her voice and story were very strong and insistent, straight from the beginning. As soon as I realized I was writing from the point of view of a twelve year old girl, I wondered why I hadn’t done it before. I felt really at home with it.

Could you tell us a little bit about Cleaver Magazine and what you do as a book review editor for them?

Cleaver Magazine is a quarterly magazine that publishes “cutting edge” artwork and literary work from a mix of emerging and established writers. The magazine also reviews books from small and independent presses. I work with reviewers and edit the YA and children’s book reviews. I love making a home for books that might not get as much press or exposure as books from larger publishers.

What’s your favorite food? (curious minds want to know 😉 )

I have an epic love of cheese. I have never met a cheese I didn’t like. One of my favorite things to do is go to Murray’s Cheese Shop in New York City, try a bunch of fancy cheeses, then spend too much money on them. But I’m not a snob about it. I also like vegan cheese, rice cheese, string cheese, cheese from a can, the fake powdered kind in a mac and cheese box. I just…really like cheese.

On a day when you’re not writing, what could we find you doing for fun?

I like to bake cakes. Also, I live in a beautiful area with lots of woods to explore, so, most of the time, you can find me outdoors playing with my son, walking, running, or hiking. And I love to read.

This one’s a tough question 😛 Sorry in advance! What has been your top read of 2017 so far?

Oof, that is a tough one! I was about to cheat and rattle off a bunch of titles but I decided to stick to my first instinct. I really loved Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.

I noticed you have worked in the past with an accountability group. How has that helped you with writing?

Working with an accountability group has helped me step back and really think about what I want to accomplish weekly, monthly, and over a year in my personal and professional life. For example, this year, I knew I wanted to write a new novel. But it’s silly to write on a to-do list: write a novel. It’s completely overwhelming. So I broke down week by week what I wanted to accomplish: research or drafting a scene or just wandering and thinking… Writing can be so lonely. Sharing goals and accomplishments makes it less so.

After reading your book’s blurb, it looks like trees play an important role in the story. If that’s true, why did you decide to focus on trees? Also, what’s your favorite type of tree?

I wrote JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS while I lived in Brooklyn. I always felt there was such a rich life of trees and plants growing there, especially along the sidewalks. New York City has a lot of street trees. But it’s never the first thing people think of when they think of a city. I had this idea I wanted to write about kids climbing trees in the city and it evolved into a book about a girl who is looking for signs of home in all the growing life around Brooklyn. My favorite city tree is a Callery Pear. When it flowers it looks like a tree of snow.

While working with various companies to create content for children’s toys, do you have a special place in your heart for any of the toys in particular?

I was lucky to work on a lot of fun stuff throughout my life in the toy biz. If I had to pick a favorite, it was working on a Sesame Street toy where we created a song that had this fun doo-wop 1950’s diner vibe. We had to record the song with all the characters and I got to meet Carroll Spinney. He is the original voice of Big Bird and Oscar, meaning, he created the characters with Jim Henson and still voices them today. When he spoke in the recording booth, I felt chills hearing the voice of characters I loved as a kid. It was such a great moment.

*~~About the Author~~*

Melissa Sarno is a freelance writer and editor with an MFA in screenwriting. She lives in the lower Hudson valley of New York with her family. JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS is her first novel.

The Sea Witch by Sarah Henning Published by Katherine Tegen Books Publication Date: May 1st 2018 Pages: 464 Goodreads Pitched as the never-before-told origin story of the sea witch from Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” told in the vein of Wicked – from the villainess’s point of view A beautiful picture of the Havnestad Coast where THE SEA WITCH takes place The Sea Witch Fun Facts! Eight […]

Miles Away from You by A.B. Rutledge Published by HMH Books for Young Readers Publication Date: March 20th 2018 Pages: 272 Purchase Links Amazon Goodreads Eighteen months after Vivien, his beloved transgender girlfriend, slipped into a coma after a suicide attempt, eighteen-year-old Miles begins healing while photographing her empty shoes against the stark landscapes of Iceland. Told through a series of instant messages. Miles […]

Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely, James Patterson Published by jimmy patterson Publication Date: January 2nd 2018 Pages: 432 Purchase Links Amazon Goodreads James Patterson presents a bold new heroine–a cross between Katniss Everdeen and Annie Oakley: Serendipity Jones, the fastest sharpshooter in tomorrow’s West. Seventeen-year-old Serendipity “Pity” Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She’s been offered a life of fame and […]

Keeper by Kim Chance Published by Flux Books/North Star Editions Publication Date: January 30th 2018 Pages: 408 Purchase Links Amazon Goodreads When a 200-year-old witch attacks her, sixteen-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. Even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to believe it—until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dead mother. After consulting a psychic, Lainey discovers that […]

What The Valley Knows by Heather Christie Published by Black Rose writing Publication Date: January 25th 2018 Pages: 250 Purchase Links Amazon Goodreads Millington Valley is a quintessential small Pennsylvania town: families go back generations. Football rules. Kids drink while adults look the other way. High school is a whirlwind of aspiration and rivalry, friendship and jealousy. When smart and pretty Molly Hanover moves to town and attracts the attention […]

Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer Published by Page Street Publication Date: January 9th 2018 Pages: 400 Purchase Links Amazon~ B&N~ Indiebound Goodreads Can’t you hear it, Talia? Can’t you hear the waves singing? Sixteen-year-old Talia was born to a life of certainty and luxury, destined to become Empress of half the world. But when an ambitious rival seizes power, she and her mother are banished to a […]

Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk Published by Tor Teen Publication Date: January 16th 2018 Pages: 320 Purchase Links Amazon~ B&N Goodreads The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic–and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus…. Roma Victor. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to build an empire–an empire built on the backs of the […]

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw Publication Date: March 6th 2018 Purchase Links Amazon Goodreads Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them. Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow… Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were […]

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